Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep: Celestus's Tale
by DeocyteMaster
Summary: Meet Celestus, the fourth keyblade wielder who trained under Eraqus with Terra, Ven and Aqua to complete the classic dream of becoming a keyblade master. What will happen to him once he chases after the Unversed? Rated for brutal violence and maybe sex.
1. Episode 1: Chapter 1

_**DISCLAIMER!: I DO NOT OWN KINGDOM HEARTS IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, so please DON'T SUE ME! I'VE NO MONEY!**_

_AN: Yes, after over a year of waiting, I have returned with a probably crappy title, but my entire storyline has changed, I planned this all out, not how it's written but what all is planned._

_Anyway, this is officially my first fan-fiction, hope you like it._

EPISODE 1:

The Beginning Journey

CHAPTER 1:

The Last Night We Ever Spent Beneath the Same Stars

It was but a simple, cool night in the Land of Departure, as it often was. The dark-blue sky glistened with the light of all the stars surrounding the well-kept world. In the large, golden building that housed the few Keyblade wielders of Master Eraqus, there were several rooms. In one of the messier rooms, a simple child with lighter-golden, really spiky hair was laying on his bead, contemplating over the lessons of the afternoon prior. Suddenly, a bright, brief flash of light shone, and caught the boy's attention. He stared out into the nighttime sky, kneeling on his bed as the comets whizzed to his right thin, bright dashes.

"A meteor shower!" he yelled to himself as he got immediately excited at the wondrous site. He then leapt off his bed and raced towards the perfect area to see the comets rain. After exiting the main doors of the apparent palace, rushing down the wide stairs, he came upon the usual training ground. It was a large, somewhat circular, flat stone platform with a very unique design on it. It was surrounded by a thick ring of grass and then by a four-and-a-half-foot-tall stone barrier, to keep people from falling to the bottomless depths below.

As he halted at his first choice, he came upon a realization. "I can't see much from here." The boy said to himself. He then looked around to hopefully find a more decent vantage point, but came upon nothing and decided to move forward to the mountain pass. When he was close to the summit, which was the optimal place to view phenomena like this, he spotted the target posts that he used as a moving target all those years ago, thinking if he should get some more training in. the golden-haired boy decided, "I've got time to spare!" and then got into his battle position, positioning his unusually-shaped Keyblade, the "teeth" of the key being behind him, rather than the traditional sword-style.

He then charged, sprung up and struck the ring that always was his target. The ring "stuck" around after the initial contact, but this blue-eyed teen paid no mind to it as he moved to the next target, which had several rings and spun around after contact. "What? You want a piece of me too?" he called to his new foe, and then performed a quick blitz as the rings began to spin due to the wind. He still made contact nonetheless. He then kept his focus on a single ring as it spun, remembering one of his earlier lessons from Eraqus. After keeping this going for a brief amount of time, the odd-handled keyblade wielder spotted a chest on a slightly high ledge, and got to, finding a set of instructions to perform a sliding dash. "Wait, what am I messing around here for?"He began, coming to a minor epiphany, "I'm gonna miss the meteor shower!" As quickly as he had said that, he had already grabbed the next ledge and climbed up it, only then to run once more towards the mountain's summit.

The summit was not as well kept as the rest of the world, but there were signs of someone being there sometime before. There were several light-posts that were partially inside the dilapidated borders that once were. The boy sauntered towards a gap in the wall that he knew would be perfect location to gaze at the falling stars. "Wow…" he dumbly gasped, staring into the sky as he felt a familiar feeling. Eventually, he decided to lay down and came upon a thought. "Why does this seem so familiar?" he thought aloud, then his eyes slowly began to close as he entered sleep..

When he awoke, he leaned forward, feeling tired after the brief nap. He then yawned, stretching his arms as he did so, and then layed down. And as he moved downwards, the blue-eyed, blue-haired woman known as Aqua came into view, catching him by surprise. The boy gave a yell as he got up, repositioning his body on his knees so he could see her better. He stared at her as she gave a light chuckle at his shock. "Gimme a break, Aqua." he told her, seeming slightly irritated at her for the unexpectedness.

She stood up, and commented, "Ven, you hopeless sleepyhead. You should have at least brought a blanket."

"But-Did I dream that place up?" wondered Ven looking down, "It really felt like I'd been there before...looking up at the stars..."

Aqua then moved her hand to gently massage the back of Ven's head, bent over to be able to reach him. " 'Cept you've always lived here with us." she reminded him gently

"Yeah."he replied somberly, looking down still, "I know." he looked up, sounding happier than just a few seconds prior. He then took a stroll towards the edge of the cliff and sat on it as Aqua soon followed him. "Hey, Aqua," he began as she sat down.

"Hm?" she hummed, her interest piqued at his possible quandary.

"Y'ever wonder where stars come from? Where light comes from?" he asked, feeling like he wondered that for years now.

"Hmm..." she thought briefly, "Well they say-" she began.

"That every star up there is another world," said a third voice as the tall, brunette man approached the two sitting figures.

They both became stunned, then turned to see who it was, only to find their good friend to be the mysterious, deep voice they had just heard. "Terra." said Aqua, who still was in a mild shock. The two quickly realized that he wasn't alone. Coming up from behind was a slightly shorter, Grey-haired male who dressed in a similar fashion to the other three.

"Celestus!" Ven yelled, waving at him frantically.

The man waved in response. "Evening, Ven, Aqua."

"Yup, hard to believe there are so many worlds out there besides our own." Terra then started to move towards the other two. "The light is their hearts, and it's shining down on us like a million lanterns." he stopped after that.

Ven was obviously confused. "What? I don't get it."

"In other words, they're just like you, Ven." Terra tried simplifying.

"Exactly, Terra." commented Celestus, who had shown up out of what seemed like nowhere like he usually did.

"What does _that_ mean?" pondered Ven as he walked towards Terra.

Terra apparently decided to encourage Ven with an odd comment, "You'll find out someday, I'm sure."

"I wanna know now." Ven seemed irritated.

"You're too young to know now." told Terra, trying to keep Ven calm.

"Quit treating me like a kid." Ven practically yelled.

Celestus walked towards Ven, giving him a reassuring pat on the back. "One day, Ven I'll be sure to tell you what he means, okay?" Meanwhile, Aqua was chuckling at Ven's last comment, and the others soon noticed.

"Hey, what are you laughing at?" Terra asked, seeming intrigued.

Aqua took a small breath "You three would make the weirdest brothers." she then continued laughing, which caught all three of them off guard and feeling confused.

Nonetheless, they all started laughing at the thought of them all being somehow related.

After a while, the four were all sitting on the edge of the bottomless cliff gazing up into the sky at the limitless number of stars beyond their world. Just then, Aqua remembered something important.

"Oh, yeah." she began, standing up. "Terra, Celestus, you two and I have our Mark of Mastery exams tomorrow." she sounded nervous when she said this to them. "I made us good luck charms." Aqua held up four star=shaped figures that dangled on bronze chains. Each one had the same style of look: lined with a silver trim on fine-stained glass and bore the crest of the Keyblade wielder at its center. However each one had its own color. One brown, another blue, the third green, and the last one was a spectrum of white. Aqua then threw the brown one at Terra as she said, "Here."

"What? I get one too?" Ven exclaimed as he was given the emerald Wayfinder and stared at it with glee

Celestus was given the dullest one, which he appreciated with a simple "Neat. Thank you."

"Of course. One for each of us. " She explained to the other three. While she eplained, the four placed their hands which held their own Wayfinder in a circle. Then Ven made a positive remark.

"Somewhere out there, there's this tree with star-shaped fruit...and the fruit represents an unbreakable connection. So as long as you and your friends carry good-luck charms shaped like it, nothing can ever drive you apart. You'll always find your way back to each other. Technically, I think you're supposed to make them with seashells," she gave a minor scoff, but I did the best with what I had."

Terra remarked, "Oy, you are sometimes such a girl." as he made some arm motions that most everyone did to provide emphasis.

As Terra simply wanted to let her know how he felt about her, Aqua noticed one word that threw her off "Hey, what do you mean 'sometimes'?"

Ven looked down, his sorrow present as hope soon shot down. "So, this isn't a real good-luck charm?" in the hope for some positive response.

"Well that's yet to be seen," Aqua informed her younger friend as she walked towards the other three, "But I did work a little magic on it." At that, Ven was really excited.

"Really? What?"

Aqua smiled and brought her charm up. "An unbreakable connection." she simplified, now raising the Wayfinder over her head.

Terra started walking away, but he brought up an interesting idea. "Well, tomorrow's the exam." a statement all too obvious, but he wasn't done, "Anybody wanna spar?"

Ven's excitement only rose at the thought of fighting Terra. "I can take ya." he declared as he summoned his Keyblade. Terra followed suit, his style more suitable for the physically stronger type of person. They both took their positions that were well apart form one another and entered their own battle stance only to keep them focused on the task at hand. Immediately, Terra started moving to his right and Ven soon closed in on him and jumped up as the first attack in a combo that he hoped for was blocked, than he tried again with similar results.

"Quit goin' easy on me. You're not gonna win unless you stay on the offensive." Ven mentored as Terra responded with a combo that Ven was too slow to dodge. Terra started with two mighty slashes right after being hit once to counter attack, which lead to his own Quick Blitz, which Ven really felt. Terra followed with a Stun Edge that, well, stunned Ven as Terra performed his finishing blow that consisted of spinning his Keyblade that easily flowed into a slightly more powerful Slam.

Aqua, who was to be the observant one for this sparring match, made a comment as she walked towards them once again. "Well, that works fine if you're fighting one-on-one. But you need to know how to handle a crowd too." Now it was her turn to teach Terra a lesson using Ven as her target. She took a deep breath, and focused a large amount of energy at Ven in random places. Then, with a yell she jumped and aimed at the parts of Ven that she focused on just before. At this Ven tried to dodge, but several large bubbles formed out of her Keyblade and bombarded Ven to no end.

Terra, who was at a safe distance, closed the large gap alongside Celestus, who took the open spot opposite him "Okay, let's wrap this up!" was his only thought that followed Aqua's Shotlock Command. The four stared at one another for a while to see who would go next. "Celestus, you haven't gone yet, have you?"

"I have not."

"Then go spar with Aqua, she's only gone once."

"Fine by me." Celestus decreed as the two positioned themselves into a battle position. "Don't think that I'll go easy on you just because you're a girl, now." he finally said, summoning his Keyblade. Now, Celestus's Keyblade was unique from all the others on a few key points. For one, the lone hand-guard merged perfectly with the blade itself. It's "teeth" made the weapon look like the letter "F", but nonetheless, it was wide and the edge was somewhat thick. Then there was the overall design of the key, it seemed...dark, mysterious. Like forgotten thorns, or something to that liking. The last difference was the simple fact that Celestus was primarily left-handed, making his fighting style something different, but had a familiar feel and look.

And then they were off...

Aqua took aim at him in an instant practically shouting a single word that would activate the spell that she was planning on using.

"Fire!" As if on cue, Aqua's cerulean Keyblade shot out an orange ball of searing-hot pain that was heading right for her opponent. Having very little time to react, Celestus decided to defend him self using the easiest possible action of blocking.

The ball quickly raced towards him as he blocked, and it couldn't have been timed better. As the fireball made contact with the Keyblade, it was reflected back at Aqua and it she took some damage, which was less than the others because of her impressive skill and resilience to magic. Then Celestus moved in to attack her from the side, but she didn't miss a beat and tried using fire again. And again he blocked the blow as he was running, but Aqua instinctively cartwheeled out of the way and into safety.

Celestus saw an opportunity, an opening, and he took it slamming his key to Aqua's side and knocking her down. She quickly rose and tried to pay him back, but only got two hits before her combo was interrupted by another fire spell. Being stunned, Aqua couldn't move as Celestus made a piercing action towards her neck, not making any contact. The fight was over.

The four stood in a much wider circle after about another twenty minutes of sparing. Ven relaxed his stance and gave the others his personal opinion. "Trust me, you guys are ready." Then the others followed suit on the relaxing status as Ven continued, "You're gonna clean up at the exam tomorrow."

"I hope it's that easy. "replied Terra who was moving towards his friend.

Aqua and Celestus soon followed. "It's like the Master said. Power is born within the heart. When the time is right, you just need to look inside yourself... and you'll find it there."

"And that light will be waiting to shine, just like the stars." Celestus concluded and Ven nodded.

He then quickly noticed that the greenish platform of light known as a "Save Point" had appeared right in front of them. "Oh! We don't wanna lost track of stuff that's happened." He was walking towards the point at this time and he saved all their progresses for the day.

Ven stared off into space, unaware that his friends were walking away only until Terra called for him. "Hey, we're gonna head back."

"Yeah, me too" affirmed Ven. He started heading towards them.

Celestus then announced, "Let's get going."

Aqua stopped and looked up to the stars, holding her Wayfinder and then staring down on it. "Together...always." and then she quickly caught up with the men as the headed back to the castle to rest for the exams.

_ENTER CELESTUS'S P.O.V._

"That would be the last night we (four) ever spent beneath the same stars."

_AN: YES! I FINALLY WROTE THE FIRST CHAPTER IN ONLY ABOUT 2 DAYS! AND IT TOOK 6 TOTAL PAGES! Please Review so that I can make changes as soon as I can, thanks for reading._


	2. Episode 1: Chapter 2

_**DISCLAIMER: CELESTUS IS THE ONLY THING I OWN! NOTHING ELSE IS MINE** _

_AN: Welcome to the second chapter, those who like this story. This chapter contains the Mark of Mastery Exam and Celestus's travel towards his first world._

_Enjoy._

CHAPTER 2:

The Mark of Mastery

_Darkness...flowing around...endless...suffer...suffer for all eternity!...Blood...there's blood everywhere...Death...all around me...Where are they?...Where did they go?...Why did this happen...damn it...damn it all!...No!...Dead...They're all dead...every last one of them...gone...gone...gone to Hell...gone forever...Dead...Who?...Who are you?...What are you...Where are you...No...Make it stop...Please...No more, no more..._

_No More!_

It was around that moment in which I awoke to the calm, rising sun. Beads of sweat were pouring all over my body as I arose from my bed. I felt cold all-of-a-sudden, flushed by the darkened dreams that never seem to go away. Either way, I was up before most everyone else, and the Mark of Mastery Exam was today. "Time to shine." I noted, finally getting dressed as I suddenly wondered about Aqua. "I wonder if she's going to be okay today" I felt concerned for her after a hard hit to her side the night prior, like anyone else would. But Aqua was different: she was strong enough to recover from that quickly. So I calmed myself because of that lone thought and headed downstairs, knowing I'd be the first to show.

When I eventually entered the large, extravagantly designed exam room, I was shocked. Master Eraqus was already there, as if he were already waiting for me. Master Eraqus was an exemplary man whom I knew for a large portion of my life prior to that day. He looked like whet he called a "samurai", except that he wore more relaxing clothes that fit the style of everyone else in this land.

"Good morning, Celestus. " he first told me. It was at that moment, that I had noticed that another Master was to his left. He wore clothes with opposing colors to Master Eraqus that looked like leather. That was his coat, he also had boots and white gloves that looked too big. He was also really tan, and really bald-save for his chin. He stared at me with intense, golden eyes that felt like they're piercing my very soul.

"Good morning, Master." I replied, then turned to the other, "Master." I refocused myself on Eraqus. _Let's hope I'm ready for this, because I've got a good feeling about today._ I confidently thought. Just then, Ven , Terra and Aqua walked up the stairs to meet up with me in order to take the exam. Ven stood off to the side, as he still was too young to take the exam._ Poor kid,_ I thought, _I remember when I was his age...the envy and the compassion..._

Terra and aqua stood beside me in attention as I daydreamed. It took me some time to take notice, but I stood in attention as quickly as I could. Master Eraqus began the long-standing exam speech after he moved towards and then glanced at us for but a small moment. "Today you will be examined for the Mark of Mastery. Not one nor two but three of the Keyblade's chosen stand here as candidates...but this is neither a competition nor a battle for supremacy—not a test of wills, but a test of heart. The three of you may prevail, or neither. But I am sure our guest, Master Xehanort...did not come all this way to see our youngest prospects in years fall short of the Mark."

_Master Xehanort. _I began to think, _that name sounds familiar, but why?_

"I trust you are ready." he asked us frankly.

"Yes." was all that we really said in unison.

"Then let the examination begin." Master Eraqus declared to the heavens as he summoned his Keyblade and positioned it in such a way that it made him look all the more like a samurai. A bright light climbed swiftly up the metal pole, and then, Master Eraqus moved both Key and left hand in order to summon a multitude of Light-based orbs.

We turned, getting ourselves ready for the first part of the exam, when something happened suddenly. The orbs began to flow with what looked like darkness and moved around in an unorganized fashion. No doubt we were taken aback from this unexpected surprise, but we still were ready for anything to happen. The three of us moved swiftly to take out the darkened orbs and we were doing alright. However, another thing occurred: one of the orbs had found Ven and was slowly advancing towards him. All of us yelled his name to catch his attention as he took out the orb quite quickly.

I was impressed at that, if it had really mattered at the time.

"Don't worry about me. You all focus on the exam!" Ven responded, knowing that his concern was his priority at the moment.

Aqua was also concerned, she seemed to have perceived Ven as her little brother. "But Ven, you're in danger here! Go wait in your room." Aqua had always been a voice of reason to the rest of us, but sometimes recklessness is more...appropriate in status.

"No way!" Ven resisted, " I've been looking forward to this—seeing you three become Masters. I'm not gonna miss it now!"

"He can take care of himself." Terra assisted, " "He's been out there training just as hard as us." Aqua seemed a bit disappointed, but it didn't show as Ven said something in agreement.

"C'mon, Aqua, Live a little. He knows what he's doing." I commented. Aqua had no other choice now but to let him stay with us and fight the orbs. We were more ready than before he struck now, which probably helped out a lot.

Aqua concluded her minor argument. "Stay sharp, Ven." Now the exam had really begun.

We four moved in to the attack, taking out the orbs like they were nothing. For a while, they didn't retaliate until a new set of orbs moved in. When I was taking out my fourth or fifth one, it stopped, dashed around, and hit me square in the stomach. I doubled over, "Is that it?" I mocked, getting back to slaughtering the orbs. I hadn't realized that another one that was left unattended had shot out several beams of light and was spinning around in place. Then it headed towards my back after I took out the other.

I turned, seeing the attacker only seconds too late as I got caught in a barrage of spinning slashes, splitting my skin open in several places, blood beginning to pour out of my wounds. "Damn it!" I grunted, keeping my distance, "You guys are cheaters." I then commented, rushing towards the offender, and smacking it into oblivion.

After a few more minutes of that being repeated several times, knowing that all the orbs were eliminated, we four, who were all scratched and bruised in several places, returned to where we were when the speech was given. Eraqus delivered his review, "That was unexpected...but one must keep a still heart even in the most trying of circumstances. It was an excellent test, one I chose to let unfold. Which brings us to your next trial." He then looked at each of us, his gentle eyes indicating that we were to fight. "Now, Terra and Aqua, the two of you will face each other in combat." they then moved towards the center of the room, as I moved to Ven's side, keeping out of the fray. "Remember, there are no winners—only truths, for when equal powers clash, their nature is revealed."

Terra and Aqua got into their battle positions.

"Begin!" Master Eraqus called, and the fight was on. They ran towards each other, their keys clashing several times as Aqua blocked Terra's advances. She tried to attack but was quickly countered by several more attacks, which were dodged with elegance by both of them. After Aqua's attacks, she topped off her combo with a pierce that almost made contact with Terra. He was far away now, but Aqua still pursued him. Terra stood still, anger rose within him, and the darkness within his heart emerged slightly and briefly. Terra seemed to notice this, but continued to fight still.

After another brief moment, Master Eraqus called me into the heat of battle. I rushed in, making sure to come at an angle that would catch them both off guard. However, they heard Master, so I became noticed quite quickly. As I came in they nodded at one another and moved towards me, ready to strike out a disruption. I had to be quick, aware and alert in order to be the obstacle that I was expected to be. The two of them attacked me and themselves as I did the same. I primarilly blocked, but if they were fixed on the other and not me, I would usually cast fire or thunder, to catch their attention and to allow them to be focused.

After the fierce battle we stood back into position, and awaited the combined decision of the two Masters. Then, master Eraqus returned to us. "We have deliberated and reached a decision. Terra, Aqua, Celestus, you three performed commendably. However, only Aqua and Celestus have shown the Mark of Mastery." we all were surprised at the fact that Terra did not become Master. It didn't feel right to either one of us. "Terra, you failed to keep the darkness within you sufficiently in check. But, there is always next time. That is all." I looked at Terra, he seemed distressed, but why? "Aqua, Celestus, as our newest Keyblade Masters, you both are entitled to certain knowledge." Then I saw Master Xehanort walk away, like he was angry with something. I didn't look into it all that well, it didn't concern me. "Please wait here for further instruction." he concluded and then left in a similar direction as Master Xehanort.

"Hey..." Aqua began as he tried to comfort Terra. Then Ven ran towards us.

"Terra. I'm sorry." No doubt he apologized for being attacked. Aqua nodded, hoping that could help him.

"The darkness...where did it come from?" he asked himself, but we all still heard him, in but a whisper. We stared at him for a little while, then he spoke, "Sorry...but I need some time alone." and we three watched him leave as the Masters also did.

A few moments later, Ven had left so it was only Aqua and I who remained in the Exam Room. We stood still for what seemed like eternity, feeling bittersweet about the situation. "Aqua." she stared at me' "Aqua, about Terra. You and I both know that he won't succumb to the darkness." I placed my hand on her shoulder, feeling a sudden wave of an emotion that seemed new to me...but why, then did it feel so familiar? "So don't worry, okay?" She nodded, seeming more confident than usual.

"Thank you, Celestus. I needed that." she replied. I nodded andheard footsteps off in the distance. I realized that Master Eraqus was approaching for the "further instructions" he mentioned just moments before. We stood in attention as he moved towards the platform for yet another lecture of the ages.

BBSBBSBBSBBSBBSBBSBBS

"And insomuch as you are now Keyblade Masters, you must always be cautious of—" he was interrupted by the loud ringing of the land's one and only bell. Aqua apparrantly got startled, looking around for where the Bell was ringing. I stood still, knowing that its location was on a tower far off in the distance, the largest bell in existence. Master Eraqus noticed something and mumbled something to himself, walking towards the back wall of the room.

I turned to see Terra dashing mad towards us, he slowed down, asking, "What happened?" Aqua turned to him slightly.

"I don't know." she answered. " Why isn't Ven here?".Terra noticed that Master Eraqus was talking to a pink, glowing crystal. I heard him say something, but I couldn't quite make out what he said before he returned to clarify what I was trying to decipher.

We got in attention as he spoke to us once again. "That was my dear old friend Yen Sid. As you know, he is Master no more...but he still keeps a close eye on the tides of light and darkness. His counsel serves as signposts on the road we wielders of the Keyblade must walk. All the more reason, then, for concern—for he tells me the princesses of heart are in danger. Not only from the forces of darkness, as you may assume...but also from a new threat—one that feeds on negativity. Fledgling emotions that have taken monster form—Yen Sid calls them the 'Unversed.'

He then looked at the three of us, making sure we understood the situation. " As wielders fo the Keyblade, you are tasked with striking down any who would upset the balance of light and darkness. The Unversed are no exception. I tried to pass this news on to Master Xehanort. But my repeated attempts to reach him have failed. I doubt there's any connection, and yet...this all troubles me.

"Master Xehanort is gone?" Terra asked as he looked down, seeming doubtful. We looked at him for a brief second, then refocused back to Master Eraqus.

"So here we are. I need you three to get this situation under control. Eliminate the Unversed, and find Master Xehanort." he began making arm motions alongside his words. "I have unlocked the Lanes Between. You may use these forbidden pathways to travel between this world and countless others. The darkness looms closer than usual within these spaces, but your armor will protect you. Lastly, remember that order must be kept. You cannot tell anyone there are other worlds." he paused. "Now go, and fulfill your duty."

We all said "Yes, Master." in unison, and Terra began to walk away again. But Master Eraqus caught him just before he could. "Terra." he stopped and turned. "Consider this an opportunity. A second chance for you to change my mind."

"What?" Terra asked.

"You must know, I care for you like my own son." Master Eraqus began to walk towards Terra. "If I could have my way, I would name you Master in a second. But how can I, when you are so obsessed with power? Terra, you mustn't be afraid of losing. Fear leads to obsession with power, and obsession beckons the darkness." he placed a hand on his shoulder. "You must never forget."

"Thank you, Master." he bowed in respect of position. "I swear..i will not fail you again." and he walked away once again, with Aqua failing to stop him. But she soon gained logic.

"Master, I'd best be on my way." Aqua said, and she began to leave as well, leaving only me and the Master, who had crossed and then uncrossed his arms, alone. I then bid my farewell and began my leave. I oddly saw Ven running to the outside, probably to see Terra off, if he hadn't left.

"Wait, Aqua, Celestus." Eraqus commanded, we turned to face him. "Before you depart, I have one other, well, call it a request of utmost priority."

"Yes?" Aqua wondered. I was also perplexed on what he could ask us to do.

"I told Terra this could be a second chance to show the Mark of Mastery, and I meant it. However, that flicker of darkness he displayed during the examination...i could sense it runs very deep. If he were to—if those powers were to prove too much for him to handle...I want you two to bring him back to me at once." Aqua looked worried, like she just lost her own mother. "It's for his own good if he could not bare to lose anything to the darkness."

"Of course. I would never let that happen. I promise you we will bring Terra back. Only this time, you'll see he has what it takes to be a Master." she vowed.

"Yeah, so don't worry too much, okay? We've been friends for years, we can work as one." I added, but it appeared to be noticed only by Aqua, who slightly smiled at the comment. As she walked towards the stain-glass window.

Her azure eyes were fixed on the shining light as she paused for a short while. Then, she spoke. "He's not as weak as you think." We then decided to leave so Terra could be brought home. As we exited the Palace, Aqua and I noticed that Ven was racing towards Terra. We then saw Terra don his armor, open the Lanes Between, summon his Keyblade Glider, which resembled a bike, and left the Land of Departure.

Then, something unexpected happened.

Ven also saw Terra don the armor, so he decided to try to repeat what he did, and successfully donned his own Keyblade armor. He seemed awed by his unique suit, as he summoned his skateboard-like Keyblade Glider. We had to rush to him quickly in order to stop him, but we were too late.

As Aqua called to Ven, he was already gone. Eraqus quickly arrived to the scene, muttering a "no, he mustn't!" in frustration.

He turned to us swiftly and commanded, "You have to bring him back!"

"Don't worry, Master." Aqua obeyed, ran forward and got ready to leave.

I followed suit. "He's no trouble, we'll be back before you know it!" Aqua summoned her Keyblade Glider, which seemed more like a flying turret, and flew off in a rush. Then I summoned my glider, which was more like Terra's but it was more encased than his with wings that resembled my own Keyblade.

I was the last to leave, right next to Aqua, to the vast, open nothingness that was the Lanes Between.

_AN: Another one down! Please review with any complaints, advice, or concerns so that this story can be at the top of its form at all times during the writing process._

_Thanks for reading Chapter 2,_

_ -DeocyteMaster._


End file.
